Greenfield Planning Board Unanimously Backs Downtown Zoning Fixes for City Council

GREENFIELD -- May 7, 2026, Greenfield Planning Board recommends zoning fix resolving downtown height conflict, hears shelter and flood corridor debates. The board voted unanimously Thursday to send a favorable recommendation to the City Council for two zoning amendments, one striking a provision that required Central Commercial district residences to comply with the lower-density Residential A district's 35-foot height cap and 25-foot setback, directly contradicting a separately adopted allowance for buildings up to 80 feet downtown, and a second clarifying fence height standards to prevent unintended sidewalk-line fencing. City Planner Ella Drew called the first amendment a correction of "competing parts of the code" rather than a new policy change. The Economic Development Committee, which met jointly for the public hearing, adjourned after roughly four minutes and will take up the same amendments at its May 12 meeting. In separate discussion, ZBA Chair David Singer urged the board to drop a proposed new "shelter" use definition and instead codify the Dover Amendment exemption process in the ordinance, requiring site plan review for all Dover-protected applications, a recommendation the board accepted in principle and directed Drew to draft. The board also heard a continued presentation from FERCOG's Andrea Donlon on four options for incorporating the Green River corridor into zoning, with no formal action taken and debate divided over whether the corridor adds meaningful protection beyond the existing Floodplain Overlay District.